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'I Was the Victim,' Says Loud Music Trial Shooter in Jailhouse Phone Call

February 18, 2014

(JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) — Prosecutors released audio Monday of several jailhouse calls placed by Michael Dunn — the man at the center of another controversial Florida trial — shedding new light on his mind-set in the initial days after he fatally shot 17-year-old Jordan Davis over a confrontation over loud music.

“I’m the [expletive deleted] victim here. I was the one who was victimized,” says Dunn, 47, in one of the calls in which he appeared to chuckle while speaking about his predicament. “I’m the victor but I was the victim too.”

In a separate call with his fiancée Rhonda Rouer, Dunn makes the connection between his situation and scenarios where police officers doubt rape victims.

“I was the one that was being preyed upon and I fought back. It’s not quite the same but it made me think of like the old TV shows and movies where like how the police used to think when a chick got raped going, ‘Oh, it’s her fault because of the way she dressed.’ I’m like, So it’s my fault (laughing) because I asked them to turn their music down. I got attacked and I fought back because I didn’t want to be a victim and now I’m in trouble. I refused to be a victim and now I’m incarcerated.”

Prosecutors accused Dunn of killing Davis in a convenience store parking lot after they got into an argument over loud music. Jurors found Dunn guilty on four of five charges for shooting at Davis’ friends, who were also in the car, as well as firing a gun into a car in the 2012 incident. However, jurors could not agree on the first-degree murder charge for shooting Davis, prompting a mistrial on that count.

The recordings mirror statements Dunn made in trial in which he stated that he believed his life was in danger, thus leaving him little choice but to shoot. The case has once again rekindled anger in some circles about self-defense laws, in particular “stand your ground,” despite it never being invoked during the trial.

Dunn testified that after he asked Davis to turn down the music blaring from the teen’s car, a confrontation ensued and that Davis approached the middle-aged software developer. Dunn said he believed Davis had a weapon, leaving him little choice but to defend himself. However, a gun was never recovered at the scene.

In one of the nine calls released Monday, Dunn reads a letter that he planned on sending to the judge presiding over his case in an effort to make bail. Repeatedly, both he and his fiancée say that the legal system is stacked against them. However, Dunn says the law is on his side.

“I’m super confident if they take this to trial it will be a short deliberation,” said Dunn.

Dunn, who placed the calls while in isolation, also made repeated efforts to distance himself from fellow inmates: “Being in a room by myself really sucks, but better than being in a room with them animals.”

He will spend at least 60 years behind bars for the attempted murder charges. Prosecutors have indicated that they plan to retry Dunn on the first-degree murder charge.